Mounds Park Academy

Thank You For A Special Culture Day At MPA!

October 30, 2019

Culture Day at MPA was made possible with help from our wonderful faculty, staff, parent, and student volunteers and participants. We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing community at MPA! On behalf of the Parents Association, thank you to everyone who was involved.

Thank You MPA Faculty & Staff!
Language teachers Evelyn Johson, Maria Jose Johnson, Martha Castellano, Liz DesLauriers, Kari Kunze-Hoeg, and Marisue Gleason for providing artifacts, information and participation; Nicole Koen for crafts in the Makerspace; Jenn Milam for procuring volunteers and MCing; Sarah McFarland for planning and coordination; Hannah Lawson for preparing the musicians; Lauren Hernandez and Natalie Waters Seum for all the marketing materials and advertising; Jennifer Rogers-Petitt, Ashley Goetzke, and Ilse Larsen in Development for help with logistics and getting the word out; Jake Eibon for A/V logistics; custodial staff Vern Kissner, Thomas Connors, Andy Gilbert, and Pat McLees for set up, take down, and clean up; Sage Dining Services, Chef Doug Pittman, and his staff for the delicious food!

Thank You Parents!
Tina Jain for donating drinks; Melissa Tuura-Johnson for the awesome decorations; Sunderraju Ramachandran for the idli cooking demonstration; Lizabeth Lane, Yukiko Miyokawa, Gayane Manukyan, Chris Weimholt, Lucia Gray, Eliza Auyeung, Christine Daves, Deborah Crutchfield, Weijun Tanya Liang, Samrina Mapara, Anastasia Mastrogiorgis, Alan Troske, Kristin Gasteazoro, Jim Saliba, Raphael Coffey, Karlyn Peterson, Adrienne Risner, Fabiola Grubhofer, Amy Cowen, Christine Larson, Sally Richie, Mikki Williams, Susan Mercer, Anudeep Rahil, Marian Hassan, and Misty Tandon for help with the parade, decorations, serving food and cleaning up.

view the photos >

Emergency Alert System Testing

October 30, 2019

On Wednesday, November 6 at 9:45 AM, MPA will test its Emergency Alert System. MPA uses this system throughout the year to alert families of school closures and, in rare cases, emergencies on campus. You should receive an email, a phone call, and a text message at the time of the test, provided MPA has the most current contact information for you in the database.

If you would like to update any of your contact information, please contact your division assistant as soon as possible:

Lower School: Becky Tesdahl at btesdahl@moundsparkacademy.org
Middle School: Jolynn Lassonde at jlassonde@moundsparkacademy.org
Upper School: Dianne Peterson at dpeterson@moundsparkacademy.org

Section 4A Championship

October 24, 2019

The sun finally made an appearance at one of our cross country meets, although it came along with cold temperatures and windy conditions. You took advantage of the fine running weather to record nine personal best times and earned three state qualifications!

Our varsity boys were up first. Unfortunately, Isak was unable to run as his hip was bothering him. Better safe than sorry. Henry led our boys, chasing one of the better runners in the state and finishing 2nd to qualify for the state meet. His time was close to what he ran last year in this meet. Cullen started very quickly, but found the second half of the race difficult. Peter had some trouble breathing, which limited him during the race. Evan improved his best time by 24 seconds. A nice way to finish his year. Ben, now serving as our 5th runner, improved his best time by 11 seconds. Liam, running only his second varsity race, improved his previous time by 16 seconds. There is definitely a lot to look forward to from these boys in future years.

Our girls were a little late getting to the starting line, but that didn’t seem to slow them down. Margo led our girls, finishing 4th to qualify for the state meet. Katie, in her first race since her muddy Milaca injury, ran like she’d never been gone. She recorded her second best ever time, finishing 10th and qualifying for the state meet. Izzy Q., after giving up on her coach’s overly ambitious race plan, ran her best race of the year. Cara improved her best time by 47 seconds! Seniors Skylar, Izzy G., and Mari rounded things out for our girls. Skylar ran her best time of the season. Izzy G. was just a few seconds from her best ever time. And Mari improved her best time by six seconds, breaking 26 minutes for the first time. The girls team finished in 5th place for their efforts.

Our large junior varsity contingent was last up. Eddie was first to finish, sporting a sleek new haircut, and running just a few seconds from his best time. Henry G. also finished just seconds from his best time. Noah sprinted to a new personal best time by 50 seconds. But Zain took the prize for the largest improvement of the day, improving his personal best time by 4 minutes! Eilam was our final junior varsity boy, cracking 30 minutes for the first time.

Amy led our junior varsity girls, improving her previous time by 37 seconds. Sophia, finally able to race after a season of frustrating foot problems, ran well to finish her first race. Salma was next up, sticking with her race despite not feeling very good. Amy ran just her second race, and looked much stronger than her first effort.

Three of our runners, Henry, Margo, and Katie, will continue on to the state meet. For our four senior girls, Skylar, Izzy G., Emily, and Mari, this was their final high school cross country race. You added so much to our team over the years, and we will miss you. Who will wear the pajamas on this team now?

Results for the boys and girls varsity are at Gopher State Events.

Meet Adi Boeder Risner ’02!

October 24, 2019

What would you tell another family considering MPA?
In addition to the facts provided by the helpful admission team, I think that every prospective family needs to understand the implications of the faculty retention at MPA. Most of my favorite teachers spent the majority of or their entire careers at MPA, and some of them are still teaching today. I’ve observed that for so many faculty members, aligning their passion with MPA values continues to fulfill their vocation as educators, year after year. When I think of all of those students impacted by teachers who are as dedicated to the school as they are to their field, I feel more confident than ever about our decision to continue this tradition for our family.

In what ways has MPA prepared your child for life in the 21st century?
Years ago, my mother shared that a friend of hers, another MPA parent, told her that no matter what your child excels at, the teachers at MPA will find it. As an alum, I absolutely believe this is true, but I’ll add that they don’t stop when the skill is discovered. Proficiencies are recognized, but not praised in a way that prevents students from experimenting with new opportunities. In the 21st century, we are faced with the challenge of preparing our children with a skillset for an unknown future. For my son, I know that he will be continuously exposed to multiple disciplines throughout his entire duration at MPA, and encouraged to make balanced decisions about his interests when he has that freedom. This emphasis on exposure and balance over perfection will prepare him for an evolving future full of choices that don’t yet exist. Read More

Bring A Friend To MPA!

October 24, 2019

Bring A Friend Day is a fantastic way for those outside our immediate community to experience firsthand who we are and what it is like to be student at Mounds Park Academy! Has a friend or co-worker ever asked, “What is MPA really like?” On Friday, November 15, we are inviting students in grades one through nine to bring a friend to MPA for a special day of learning and fun!

The invited friend should be near the same grade as your child and each child may only bring one friend. Space is very limited by grade level. Please have the family of the visiting friend register online at moundsparkacademy.org/bringafriend by Friday, November 8.

On the day of the visit, if possible, please help the visiting family with transportation to/from school. Visiting students are welcome to ride MPA buses, but not District 622 buses. Bus passes may be obtained from the Office of Admission. Visitors and their hosts should check-in together at the South Entrance at 7:45 AM. Read More

Making MPA Opportunities Possible

October 24, 2019

By Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School

Several weeks ago, I had a very excited but sleepy passenger in my car. My daughter Ari had just returned from three days and two nights with her eighth grade classmates at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, Minnesota and I peppered her with questions on our ride home. Between yawns, she shared stories of what she had learned about her classmates and herself. Through a combination of outdoor adventures and activities, Ari enjoyed opportunities to deepen her relationship with the natural world, with her classmates, and with herself.

Opportunities are what Mounds Park Academy is all about. In the classroom, on the stage and playing field, in the Makerspace, and soon, in our new library, MPA students benefit each day from incredible opportunities to push the limits of their learning, uncover their passions, discover their voice, and build the self-confidence necessary to face whatever life may bring. Now, more than ever, our world demands informed, passionate, thoughtful, and well-educated citizens. Building a better future for our students and for our world is dependent on a rigorous education as well as meaningful experiences and opportunities. Read More

MPA Student Uses A Dollar For Change

October 24, 2019

Last year, when he was assigned the seventh grade “Dollar Project,” MPA student Jay G. knew where he wanted to take action right away–he already had an idea of how to give back to his community and solve a problem that affected his neighborhood.

“For the past several years, I have noticed that there are lots of kids having to walk through snow to get to school or to their bus stop,” he wrote on his GoFundMe page. “So when my teacher gave me a dollar to make an impact in the world, and I thought this was a perfect opportunity.”

Jay met with local government staff and discussed Ramsey County’s long-term plan to fix and resurface Rice Street in Roseville. His plan included a pathway on the Roseville side of Rice Street.

“All the money raised from this project will go to the City of Roseville towards helping to pave a safe sidewalk on Rice Street,” Jay said. “Nobody should ever have to walk through the cold snow to get to a bus stop on one of the busiest streets in Roseville.”

This past week, Jay went to the Roseville City Council meeting and presented the money he raised to Mayor Roe, and Jay’s dollar project was right at the top of their agenda. The $364 that Jay ended up raising will go toward the future pathway. We are so proud of Jay and his passion to dream big and do right!

Boys Soccer Wraps Up Season With IMAC Recognitions

October 23, 2019

Both the MPA Boys Varsity and Junior Varsity Teams had new coaches this year. Coach Denver Johnson coached Varsity and Coach Phillip Neblich coached JV. Varsity ended their season with six wins and 10 losses, while JV had seven wins and just two losses.

Reflecting on the season, Coach Johnson noted, “We are a young team with talented players, led by captains Luke Zscheile, Nathan Harvanko, and Jerusalem Thao. The season started off rough, with the team playing a couple of top teams in the state. Despite the losses, we maintained a positive mind set and a never quit attitude.” Read More

The Documentary “Angst” Comes To MPA

October 23, 2019

Mounds Park Academy invites the MPA and broader community to a showing of the documentary “Angst” and an open conversation to follow. The MPA Parents Association is graciously sponsoring two screenings of this IndieFlix original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with children, teens, educators, experts, parents, and a very special interview with Michael Phelps.

Wednesday, November 6, 6:30-8 PM
Nicholson Center | students 10+ welcome
Friday, November 8, 8-9:30 AM
Recital Hall | adults only
No RSVP is Required
Mounds Park Academy
2051 Larpenteur Avenue, Saint Paul
Watch the trailer at angstmovie.com

Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal that Mounds Park Academy wholeheartedly supports: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources, and tools available to address the condition.

We hope you will join us! And thank you in advance for helping spread this invitation throughout your community!

If you have any questions, please contact Jenn Milam, Ph.D., MPA Middle School director, at jmilam@moundsparkacademy.org or 651-748-5598.

Donate At The MPA Blood Drive

October 23, 2019

The MPA Blood Drive is on October 24! The MPA first grade class and Upper School Student Council are joining together again to host this year’s blood drive for a joint community service project. Please take note of the date and begin thinking about how you can contribute to our event. We are asking for an hour of your time to donate blood on Thursday, October 24. And if you know that you are unable to give blood, please be sure to ask as many friends or relatives as you can to take your place! If you have not yet already, you may register to donate by going online to www.redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code Mounds Park Academy.

Giving blood is simple and easy, and it will save lives. You can touch the lives of people you have never met by giving blood for patients needing transfusions for emergency surgeries, or treatment of illnesses such as Leukemia and other cancers. There is no substitute for human blood–it cannot be manufactured, and much of today’s medical care depends on having a steady supply of blood provided by healthy volunteer donors. Each time you give blood, you can help a few patients in need with your plasma, platelets, and red blood cells. Most people who are in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and are at least 17 years of age are eligible to give blood every 56 days. If you have questions about your eligibility to donate please call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767). Read More